The current problem with the cts test serialization has to due with the behavior of the VirtualFileAdaptor. A VirtualFileAdaptor is created with a VirtualFile whose underlying handler is a ZipEntryHandler is created that has a path interop_W2JREMarshallTest_appclient_vehicle_client.jar, and a uri of vfszip:/Users/svn/JBossHead/jboss-head/build/output/jboss-5.0.0.CR1/server/cts/tmp/jsr88/interop_W2JREMarshallTest_appclient_vehicle.ear/interop_W2JREMarshallTest_appclient_vehicle_client.jar:

When the VirtualFileAdaptor that wraps the associated VirtualFile, ends up writing out the path and rootURL as interop_W2JREMarshallTest_appclient_vehicle_client.jar and vfszip:/Users/svn/JBossHead/jboss-head/build/output/jboss-5.0.0.CR1/server/cts/tmp/jsr88/interop_W2JREMarshallTest_appclient_vehicle.ear/interop_W2JREMarshallTest_appclient_vehicle_client.jar.

I see Ales added a test that did not show the problem. I went through the server code to see exactly how the VirtualFile being passed to the ws VirtualFileAdaptor was being created. The issue is that a VirtualFile with a DelegatingHandler pointing to the client jar is asked for itself using getChild(""), and its this VirtualFile that is passed to the VirtualFileAdaptor. It is this file that is failing.